New "Tiny House" Hotel in Northeast Portland

A brand-new getaway invites guests into the small house movement

A fringe fad for decades, the small house movement has settled into a full-blown (albeit tiny) revolution in recent years. Taking up mere hundreds of square feet, these often hand-built alternative homes have been popping up on plots of land, friends’ back yards, anywhere that they can squeeze in.

This month Portland welcomes Caravan, the country’s first ever hotel built on the “tiny house” model located in the heart of the Alberta arts district and forms a small urban lot of small houses.

With tiny houses built on flatbed trailers ranging in size from 100-200 square feet, these three self-contained and custom-made guest accommodations offer an experience unlike any hotel you’ve ever stayed in.

Couple Kol Peterson and Deb Delman, long-time tiny house and Accessory Dwelling Units enthusiasts (Delman herself has lived in cabins, barns, and a reimagined garage) have brought their knowledge of thoughtful urban planning and love of local Portland culture to this lot that has international travelers jumping for joy (“Literally!” says Delman).

Three cozy tiny houses sleeping 1-4 guests are circled about a fun and funky outdoor communal space for tiny house-lovers to gather that will have you feeling like you really have run away and joined a caravan of bohemian travelers.

Carry the spirit with you as you explore Alberta’s lively food cart scene and local art galleries. The owners’ excitement about the movement is contagious “This is the perfect opportunity to showcase these innovative and beautiful and artistic custom made spaces,” Delman says. “To show that it is possible is really important to us.” Ever wondered if you could live on 160 square feet? Come test it out and learn more about the movement at Caravan.